Sunday, May 19, 2013

Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz

It may sound weird to say that I like books about the Holocaust. It's obviously not because they are enjoyable but more because they can be powerful as they speak to the resiliency of the Jewish people and the need to get the message out so that things like this do not happen again. This story is based on the life of Jack Gruener and tells about his experiences in ten different concentration camps during the Holocaust. Because of the time span and the many different locations it touches only briefly on some of the events and yet paints a picture of the horrors that he lived through. This is all done in a way that, with some prior knowledge, would be acceptable to 6th grade and up and maybe even fifth grade. In the afterward the author does say it is a work of fiction because some events and details were altered a bit (with Jack Gruener's knowledge). I do recommend this book.

A happy frog seems odd for this type of subject matter...but that's how I evaluate books so there you are.